Hundreds gathered to protest against Islam’s sharia law at the site of the December 2015 terror attack in San Bernardino, California, and at Los Angeles International Airport. The protest rallies were sponsored by ACT for America — Bridgette Gabriel’s anti-jihadist group — and held nationwide in 28 cities such as New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Austin, Seattle and Phoenix.

Sharia is the law of Islam that governs all aspects of the Muslim life. The freedom of women is restricted and extreme punishment is given for offenses such as adultery, blasphemy and apostasy. The ACT! for America website states: “Many aspects of Sharia law run contrary to basic human rights and are completely incompatible with our laws and our democratic values.”

Over 500 demonstrators gathered at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino to protest what they described as the spread of sharia law in the United States. The San Bernardino protest was organized by Latinos for Trump co-founders Marco Gutierrez and Denise Ruiz. Marco, who grew up in Mexico, became a US citizen in 2003, married his high school sweetheart in California, and founded Latinos For Trump in 2016. “We’re here to defend our country, because our way of life is threatened now. It’s the totalitarian idea that you’ll do this or else,” said Gutierrez.

At the Tom Bradley LAX terminal, about 100 activists waved signs, sang songs and networked. The pro-Trump, anti-sharia protestors engaged travelers as they made their way out of the terminal, taking pictures.

The Pro-Trump protesters in San Bernardino and LAX were met by smaller groups of counter-demonstrators, many from so-called “Antifa” groups. Some 129 national and local organizations signed a letter urging city mayors to condemn the marches taking place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Off-Duty Border Patrol Agent kidnapped and assaulted

The injured off-duty Border Patrol agent from the Deming, New Mexico Border Patrol Station is believed to have been kidnapped prior to sustaining severe injuries to his “head, chest, and hands” but is in stable condition. The FBI is investigating along with local law enforcement officials.

Sunday, June 11 (Day 143):

Hollywood Gay Pride parade turns into “Resist March”

The Los Angeles annual Gay Pride parade was renamed the “Resist March” and thousands of demonstrators waved rainbow flags and anti-Trump signs often using profane language to attack the Republican Party and conservatives. Speaking at the event was Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA). “Resist March” protesters defaced Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

CNN: “Clinton Campaign took a billion dollars, called it a campaign”

CNN contributor Van Jones ripped Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. “The people who ran the Hillary Clinton campaign did not spend their money on white workers and they did not spend it on people of color. They spent it on themselves,” Jones said. “They took a billion dollars, a billion dollars, a billion dollars, and set it on fire, and called it a campaign!

“That wasn’t a campaign. That’s not a campaign. A billion dollars for consultants. A billion dollars for pollsters. A billion dollars for a data operation, that was run by data dummies who couldn’t figure out that maybe people in Michigan needed to be organized.”

Barron Trump, Twitter

Barron Trump moves into the White House

President Trump’s son, Barron, joined his father aboard Air Force One on Sunday as he moved into the White House with his family permanently. Both Barron and his mother, Melania, stayed in New York City after the election until he finished school, but they now have arrived in Washington to stay. Barron Trump will attend St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland in the fall. He is the first boy to live in the White House since 1963, when John F. Kennedy, Jr. was only three years old.

Monday, June 12 (Day 144):

Gingrich: “Time to rethink special counsel Robert Mueller”

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga) questioned special counsel Robert Mueller’s ability to remain fair and impartial in his investigation into Russian’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

“Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is gong to be fair. Look who he is hiring. Time to rethink,” Gingrich tweeted about Mueller, a former director for the FBI.”

Gingrich accused former FBI Director James Comey of manipulating the Russia probe in order to cause the appointment of a special counsel and he called on Congress to dismiss the special counsel altogether.

“I think Congress should now intervene and they should abolish the independent counsel, because Comey makes so clear that it’s the poison fruit of a deliberate manipulation by the FBI director leaking to The New York Times. It’s very sick. It’s very clear that Comey hates Trump.”

Comey acknowledged during his Thursday testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee that he leaked a memo to the press that detailed his meeting with Trump in hopes that he would inspire the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel which Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein did.

Meanwhile, Marc Kasowitz, President Trump’s personal attorney, has said that Comey should be investigated for leaking what he called “privileged” communications with Trump.

(Editor’s Note: The American Center for Law and Justice on Thursday stated on their radio broadcast that “a special counsel should comply by the rules and regulations of the Department of Justice who may be disciplined or removed from office for conflict of interest, for personal or political relationship.” The ACLJ broadcast was in reaction to reports that special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating President Trump with Democrat lawyers in regards to collusion with Russia.)

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga)

Ivanka Trump surprised by “level of viciousness”

President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, has said she is surprised by the “level of viciousness” seen so far during her father’s presidency.

“There is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting. I was not expecting the intensity of this experience,” said Ivanka who also said her father and his administration “intends to be transformative. We want to do big, bold things and we’re looking to change the status quo.”

97 Percent of Puerto Rico voters want statehood

Some 97 percent of Puerto Rico voters voted for statehood but only 23 percent of voters cast their ballots on Sunday because of opposition boycotting. Puerto Rico voters were voting to become this nation’s 51st state.

Puerto Rico has a poverty rate of 45 percent and a 12.4 percent unemployment rate with its public pension plans having only $1.8 billion in assets to pay $45 billion in liabilities.

Tuesday, June 13 (Day 145):

Ninth Circuit Court rules against Trump’s executive immigration order

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Court renders a three-judge decision (86-page decision) declaring that President Trump must justify his immigration policies to curb the annual inflow of refugees from 100,000 to 50,000.

The three judges—all of whom were appointed by former President Bill Clinton—stated that President Trump needed to justify his March 2017 Executive Order by detailing the reasons why migrants or refuges should be excluded. The California court did not bring up Trump’s election campaign criticism of Islam but said that the President could not rewrite the nation’s immigration policies and sought additional documents to back up his decisions. The court used former President Barack Obama’s judgment that upping the inflow of refugees to 110,000 a year is “safe.”

Republican House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La) as well as two members of the Capitol Hill Police were severely wounded after James T. Hodgkinson, 66, a Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer, targeted Republican members of Congress practicing for a charity baseball game. Scalise’s office said the lawmaker “is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues.”

Scalise is the first member of Congress to be shot since Gabby Giffords in 2011. As a member of leadership, he has a security detail and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., credited police with preventing an even bigger tragedy. Texas Rep. Roger Williams’ congressional aide Zack Barth, Tyson Foods director of government relations Matt Mika and two Capitol police officers (Cristal Griner and David Bailey) were also injured in the incident. Hodgkinson was shot by Capitol Police and died from his injuries.

Scalise was shot in the hip by Hodgkinson who opened fire at the baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. The Democrats were practicing at a separate field not far away.

The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual sporting event which pits members of the Senate and House, in a tradition that began in 1909, according to the event’s website. Members of Congress practice in the weeks leading up to the friendly event, waking up early for morning practices with their teammates. The game has now turned into a charity event that benefits organizations including The Washington Literacy Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation. More than 50 Congressional members will be participating in the 57th Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park on Thursday. The stadium is located southeast of the White House.

Scalise would have joined 34 Republican members of Congress for the game, with Texas Rep. Joe Barton as the team’s manager, according to Roll Call. The game is set to honor the victims in the recent terror attacks in the U.K. British ambassador Nigel Kim Darroch was slated to throw the first pitch.

Hodgkinson, of Belleville, Ill., who was gunned down by police to end the shooting at Simpson Field in Alexandria, Va., appears to have maintained two Facebook pages, each had anti-Trump posts and glowing praise for Bernie Sanders who called the shooting a “despicable act.”

A number of anti-Trump Facebook posts were posted by Hodgkinson’s just two days before the shooting. One said, “Trump is Guilty & Should Go to Prison for Treason.” Another said, “Make America Great Again, Resign!” Hodgkinson also posted an editorial cartoon that depicted Scalise behind a podium, addressing a group of hooded Ku Klux Klansmen and wrote in the post: “Here’s a Republican that should lose his job, but they gave him a raise.”

Hodgkinson was a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors and owned a home-inspection business but did not renew his license in 2016. He belonged to an anti-GOP Facebook group called “Terminate The Republican Party.”

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to Medstar Washington Hospital Center to visit House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. They also brought flowers to Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner who was wounded in the attack. Earlier in the Day, President Trump had said: “Congressman Scalise is a friend, and a very good friend,” he said. “He’s a patriot and he’s a fighter. He will recover from this assault. And, Steve, I want you to know that you have the prayers not only of the entire city behind you, but of an entire nation and, frankly, the entire world.”

According to a statement from the hospital, Scalise remains in critical condition after suffering injuries to his internal organs and severe bleeding. After leaving the hospital, Trump shared a message on Twitter. “Just left hospital. Rep. Steve Scalise, one of the truly great people, is in very tough shape – but he is a real fighter,” he wrote. “Pray for Steve!”

“We send out thoughts and prayers to our colleague, Steve Scalise,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “For this person to take this action was so cowardly, so cowardly. We cannot let that be a victory for the assailant or anyone who would think that way. We will use this occasion as one that brings us together and not separates us further.”

Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) said he urged Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to fast-track new security measures for lawmakers. “Many of us receive threats. And it’s not that we get used to it. You’ve just got to hope and pray that people don’t follow up on those threats, but at any given moment they could, like we saw this morning,” Cárdenas said. “I personally stressed to the Speaker if we could put that on hyper drive and get those results and those decisions as quickly as possible.”

Fox News Todd Starnes said, “Our great nation is teetering on the brink of political anarchy. And the blame lies with Hollywood and public universities and left-wing activists. Their hateful rhetoric over the past year—their quest to remove President Trump from office—has now given birth to bloodshed. This time at the hands of a man who hated President Trump—a man who wanted to kill as many Republicans as he could.

“But we would be foolish if we did not address the festering anti-Trump cancer that has infected the left. What about the…comedian who beheaded the president or the taxpayer-funded production called, “Killing Republicans” or the Shakespearean drama where Caesar was depicted as President Trump?

“What about the high school teacher who made a bet on whether the president would be assassinated or the one who pretended to execute the president inside her classroom? Or how about the professor who said Republicans must be executed and the president must hang? Or the other professor who said House Republicans should be lined up and shot? On Wednesday – those professors nearly got their wish – when a baseball field came perilously close to becoming a killing field. We can be better than that, America. We must be better than that.”

(Editor’s Note: Scalise’s Chief of Staff Brett Horton read a statement Friday from Scalise’s wife, Jennifer.“On behalf of Steve and our children, I want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for the incredible amount of prayers and warm wishes we have received since Wednesday’s events,” Mrs. Scalise said in the statement.

“We are especially appreciative of the strong outpouring of love and support from our neighbors, friends, from Louisiana and across the country, as well as from President Trump, Vice President Pence, and all of Steve’s colleagues who have reached out to us during this most challenging time.”

Mrs. Scalise thanked the first responders, and said the family is “forever grateful for the heroism” of Griner and Bailey.)

Screen capture, Facebook — James T. Hodgkinson

President Trump celebrates 71st birthday; as does POV activist group

President Donald J. Trump celebrated his 71st birthday with family members at the White House. Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Jr. shared photos of themselves and their families at the White House to mark the occasion, as well as his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Some 28 local activists from the Port Hueneme—Oxnard—Ventura community activist group celebrated President Trump’s birthday at the Stronghold Institute (1500 Palma Drive, Suite 160, Ventura, CA 93003) with a birthday cake following their meeting.

Thursday, June 15 (Day 147):

Bloomberg: Immigrants not making up for those leaving largest U.S. cities

New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago—the nation’s top three metropolitan areas—are making up for the number of residents leaving by an increase of immigrants into these cities according to a Bloomberg article.

The article claims that rising government taxes, rental and housing prices have pushed young Americans towards southern cities, such as Dallas, Austin, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, and Charlotte. The coastal cities of Seattle and Portland have also gaining population from arriving Americans, principally Seattle and Portland.

But immigration is so high in Miami that it is pushing out Americans, just like in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

Those trends were reflected in the 2016 election, where Trump won 26 of 27 lower-cost states. As more Americans migrate southwards, they are likely to deliver more GOP-leaving votes to their new districts, which help offset the huge immigrant inflow of Democratic-leaning residents.

Tracy Martin, Oxnard documentary filmmaker, has now raised $20,000 in order to produce “The Matter of Life” Movie and needs only $10,000 more in order to begin production shooting. The landmark film produced by the Brooks Film Institute graduate will convey the pro-life message with science, logic, history and powerful personal stories.

“The Matter of Life” movie is being funded by pro-lifers who wish to reach culture with the case for life. Individuals wishing to make “abortion unthinkable” are invited to make a 501 (c) (3) tax-deductible donation this Father’s Day weekend when a gift of $25 will include the donor’s name in the theatrical credits and the film’s website and after the premier will entitle the donor to access the film online.

Ventura County’s pro-life activist Mary Rose Short, a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, shared her efforts to save babies after the recent opening of Oxnard’s FPA Women’s Health—a for-profit abortion clinic (at 1700 Lombard Street #110)—which is part of the nation’s largest for-profit chain founded in California in 1969 by Dr. Edward C. Allred and Dr. Kenneth L. Wright (who pioneered the use of saline amniocentesis, a technique for termination pregnancy in the second trimester).

“Call and ask the FPA Women’s Health abortion clinic to be removed from 1700 Lombard Street,” said Mary Rose Short. Ayaz Walji is the property owner for the 1700 Lombard Street medical offices and can be contacted at (619) 325-6320. David Kim is the leasing manager and can be contacted at (805) 626-1234.

Rosenstein penned a memo last month raising concerns about Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation that the White House used to justify his firing. Amid a firestorm of criticism of Comey’s firing, Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election. The deputy attorney general has vowed to allow Mueller to conduct an independent probe of Russia’s actions, including any links to the Trump campaign.

Meanwhile, ABC News reported that Rosenstein, who is now in charge of the probe, is mulling a recusal—removing himself from the investigation. If he did this, Rachel Brand, a Republican lawyer, would become the lead official at the Department of Justice overseeing the Russian probe.

Reports emerged this week that Mueller’s probe has expanded to include possible obstruction of justice on Trump’s part over the firing of Comey.

“After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my ‘collusion with the Russians,’ nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!” Trump said in a Tweet message.

“The Fake News Media hates when I use what has turned out to be my very powerful Social Media – over 100 million people! I can go around them,” he tweeted.

“Despite the phony Witch Hunt going on in America, the economic & jobs numbers are great. Regulations way down, jobs and enthusiasm way up!” President Trump tweeted.

President Trump reverses Obama overtures to Cuba

“We will not be silent in the face of communist oppression any longer,” said President Trump in the heart of America’s Cuban exile community in Miami. The president acknowledged two Cuban dissidents: Jorge Luis García Pérez (Antúnez), who suffered 17 years in prison for objecting to communism and Cary Roque, a dissident who Trump allowed to deliver a few short words.

The president also honored the “great people” who fought at the Bay of Pigs, the 2506 Brigade veterans present at the event, and the “children of Operation Peter Pan” which brought more than 14,000 Cuban youth who arrived alone in the United States from 1960 to 1962—the largest exodus of unaccompanied minors in the Western Hemisphere.

Pedro Pan was a program created by the Catholic Welfare Bureau (Catholic Charities) of Miami in December 1960 at the request of parents in Cuba to provide an opportunity for them to send their children to Miami to avoid Marxist-Leninist indoctrination. After the break in diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961, the Catholic Welfare Bureau was authorized by the U.S. Department of State to notify parents in Cuba that visa requirements had been waived for their children. This enabled the children to travel by commercial flights to Miami.

“We want to thank you all for being a voice for the voiceless,” Trump said. “The exiles and dissidents here today have witnessed communism destroy a nation, just as communism has destroyed every nation where it has ever been tried.”

“Look at what communism has done,” said Trump. “Believers persecuted for preaching the word of God, you watch the Women in White – bruised, bloodied, and captured on their way from Mass, you have heard the chilling cries of loved ones or the cracks of firing squads piercing through the ocean breeze — not a good sound.

“This is the simple truth of the Castro regime: My administration will not hide from it, excuse it, or glamorize it, and we will never, ever be blind to it. We know what is going on and we remember what happened,” Trump promised.

President Donald Trump has renewed travel restrictions and efforts to prevent the flow of funds to the “repressive members of the Cuban military government.”

“The President vowed to reverse the Obama Administration polices toward Cuba that have enriched the Cuban military regime and increased the repression on the island,” said a Bay of Pigs Veterans Association official and emphasized that the new policy does not target the Cuban people, but rather the “repressive members of the Cuban military government.” Trump is restoring some of the restrictions on Cuba “until they’ve provided religious and political freedom to their people.”

In February, Trump ordered a full review of U.S. policy toward Cuba. The National Security Council conducted an inter-agency review that included, among others, the Treasury Department, State Department, Commerce Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation. Multiple members of Congress considered experts on Cuba policy, and from both sides of the aisle, worked “hand in glove” to provide guidance on this new policy.

The President’s concern with previous policy was that it was “enriching the Cuban military and the intelligence services that contribute so much to oppression on the island, and that’s the opposite of what he wanted to achieve, which is to have the benefits of any economic commerce with United States go to the Cuban people.”

The new policy includes measures to make sure that the “statutory ban on tourism is strictly enforced.” Of twelve categories of travel permitted when it comes to Cuba, the administration is ending “individual people to people travel.” This category was identified as the having the highest possibility for abuse. However, commercial flights will still be allowed to Cuba.

The new policy directs the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce to change their regulations and to provide regulations to “prohibit direct financial transactions with the military, intelligence and security services” with several exceptions.

The goal of the new policy is to “steer money away from the Cuban military and toward the Cuban people.”

The DAPA amnesty for 4 million illegal-alien parents of U.S-born children has ended. Roughly 765,000 younger illegals have received Social Security Numbers and work-permits from Obama’s amnesty.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said DAPA was indefensible in court. Both the DACA and DAPA amnesties are based on the claim by President Barack Obama that agency officials have the authority to stop enforcing Congress’ laws against entire categories of people, providing the benefits were reviewed and granted on a case-by-case basis.

The announcement made by the Department of Homeland Security rescinds the memorandum signed on November 20, 2014 that created the program known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (“DAPA”) which was never implemented.

25,000 attend Congressional Baseball Game in aftermath of shooting

Congressman Scalise

The 56th Annual Congressional Baseball Game attracted 25,000—the highest attendance in the game’s history—at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium in the aftermath of Wednesday’s shooting which resulted in a heightened security presence with police helicopter flying overhead and squads of policeman clad in bulletproof vests.

Ivanka Trump along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met with players in the dugout prior to the start of the baseball game. The stadium announcer asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of the five injured victims: House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La), congressional staffer Zachary Barth, lobbyist Matt Mika, and Capitol Police Officers David Bailey and Crystal Griner.

Before the game began, the announcer asked for a moment of silence. The congressional chorus sang renditions of the National Anthem and “God Bless America.” Capitol Police Officer David Bailey, wounded in Wednesday’s tragedy, walked on the baseball field in crutches to throw the game’s ceremonial first pitch along with former New York Yankees manager Joe Torres. After the first pitch ended, the two gave each other a hug, and Bailey hobbled off the field to “There Goes My Hero” by the Foo Fighters in an homage to the officer.

“By playing tonight, you are showing the world that we will not be intimidated by threats, acts of violence, or assaults on our democracy,” Trump said in a pre-recorded address to the crowd displayed on the jumbotron: “The game will go on.”

Also appearing on the jumbotron were: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who all stressed unity among both parties and urged people to reflect on those who suffered as a result of the shooting.

The Democrats won the game 11-2 but no one seemed to care about the score.

(Editor’s Note: Mr. Hernandez is dedicating himself to advance the 13 spheres; developing an interactive California citizens news platform as an alternative to mainstream media; while building local school-community partnerships.)

Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service, founder of History Makers International, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email: hernandez.mike@aol.com.

When radio star Jenny Reed of KKTM-FM is forced to co-host with “The Voice” of charismatic Johnny King, the airwaves of Los Angeles ignite. In a business drowning in testosterone, Red Wine for Breakfast is the story of strong, determined New Yorker who has to shake off the laid-back attitude of LA to overcome the challenges of an industry that threatens to turn her off and a man who only wants to turn her on.

CHALLENGE THE WIND is a powerful American revolutionary War tale that dispenses a deep look at the impact of war on a family and those who come into their circle. The novel captures the souls of the audience through its powerful characterizations. However, the key to this strong historical story is the underlying theme that no matter how noble the cause war is hell on not just the combatants, but the loved ones waiting behind for news that those they cherish still live.

Ad Space Available

Advertisements

This Space Available (Footer, Right) advertising@citizensjournal.us

Space Available

CHALLENGE THE WIND

CHALLENGE THE WIND is a powerful American revolutionary War tale that dispenses a deep look at the impact of war on a family and those who come into their circle. The novel captures the souls of the audience through its powerful characterizations. However, the key to this strong historical story is the underlying theme that no matter how noble the cause war is hell on not just the combatants, but the loved ones waiting behind for news that those they cherish still live.